Reluctant Confessions
by reluctantmarvelgirl
Summary: WARNING: unlikely this story will ever be finished. If I get around to it I will post some bits and pieces to the story I've written here. Wolverine finds out he's been cloned. When that clone comes into his life he is forever changed...reluctantly.
1. Chapter 1

Reluctant Confessions

By Rebecca

a.k.a. ReluctantMarvelGirl

Chapter 1

Reluctance

Logan banged some bills onto the bar.

"Sam Adams," he growled to the bar tender.

He looked quickly around the shabby bar as his beer was placed unceremoniously in front of him. The place was filled with the low lives that seemed to gravitate towards this particular area of porn shops and cheap hotels surrounding the airport. What he wouldn't give right now to be just a normal guy trying to get drunk and laid.

Taking a swig of beer, Logan thought about all that had happened. No one could really blame him for running off, renting a hotel room and, now, attempting to get smashed. If you'd just been told that the same bastards who ruined your life had cloned you and then ruined her life as well you might be a little pissed, too. Professor Xavier had told him the whole story about Hydra, the scientists, the genetics, and the weapon training. He told him how the limited supply of Logan's DNA had resulted in the clone being a female and only thirteen years old at that. She'd been trained to be the new, improved Weapon X from the time she was conceived.

As much as this disturbed Logan, it was nothing compared to seeing the video tapes. Apparently some of the visual records of the X-23 (as the clone was called) had been retrieved and given to the Professor. Taking a grown man, lacing his skeleton with adamantium and training him to be the world's most dangerous weapon was one thing. Cloning that man and repeating the same process on the female child was another thing. Logan watched hours of footage of his clone being trained to be the perfect weapon. He watched more footage of the girl who looked just like him, sitting in an empty white cell, staring straight ahead, or sleeping on the hard ground. Now that this horrible scientific experiment had been given a face, Logan had to fight hard to keep a berserker rage from bursting out of him. It was like watching the whole ordeal happen to him all over again, except worse.

It wasn't long after this that Logan received word that X-23 had escaped the Hydra labs that had been her home since birth. With a dangerous killer like that on the loose, the X-Men went into action. After quite a struggle, X-23 was captured and brought to Xavier's Institute for Gifted Youngsters. Seeing as she was being held against her will, containing her safely became something of a problem.

"Logan, you're the only one who can reach her right now," Professor Xavier had told him pleadingly. But he couldn't bring himself to enter the mansion's lower level hospital room that X-23 was being kept in. For one of the few times in Logan's life he was afraid. He was afraid of facing the fruit of Hydra's treachery, a life that had been created and ruined because of him. He was afraid of himself.

While passing through, Dr. Jean Grey had opened the door just enough for Logan to see inside. His heart stopped at the sight of the girl. She was really there this time, not just on a video tape. X-23 lay sprawled across the bed in a sort of stupor. She had obviously fought with all she had, but the psychic powers of Dr. Grey were too strong for her. Her green eyes pierced Logan's, and though she was subdued for the moment, he knew that her mutant heightened senses were still going strong. She was picking up his scent, sounds and look. She knew the man responsible for her life when she saw him. At that, Logan had fled, spurred on by guilt.

-----------------

After a many more beers, Logan headed back to the run down hotel where he'd rented a room. He was satisfyingly drunk, at least, enough so that he didn't want to kill someone at the thought of the small girl back at the Institute. But he rode up the shaky elevator to his room he started to sense that something wasn't right. He sniffed the air, but all he could smell was himself and the sterile, smoky essence of the hotel. He got cautiously off the elevator and headed to his room, sniffing and listening to whole way. Something just wasn't right…

Once inside his room Logan did a thorough search for whatever it was that was setting off the alarms in his head. His search proved futile. Stripping off his jacket and shirt he went into the bathroom and splashed his face with cold water. _C'mon, snap out of it. You've just had too many beers_, he told himself.

Before he could think up any more excuses a hard blow came down on his back sending his head crashing into the faucet in front of him. Blood began to flow freely from Logan's nose. _Snikt_. Logan popped his claws and spun around. A kick came to his side before he could get a look at his attacker. He lunged out blindly with his claws, but a swift punch and a kick landed him flat on the ground, face up. He stared into the face of X-23. She had a foot on each of his ankles and her claws pointed at his chest. She had two claws in each of her hands, as opposed to Logan's three. He watched as a claw came slowly out of the toes of each of her boots.

"Weapon X," she said.

"X-23," Logan gasped out. "Guess they trained you up right."

"At your expense, Weapon X," she snarled. "You took my life, now I'm going to take yours."

She moved her claws closer to Logan's chest and the claws in her feet started to dig into the front of his ankles. All Logan could think was that he'd sure picked a hell of a bad time to get drunk.

"I just want you to know," X-23 went on "that whatever hell you suffered from being experimented on, it's nothing compared to what I went through. I am a weapon, not a person. And now, because of you, my mother is dead, too."

Logan vaguely recalled the Professor telling him that a trigger scent had been placed on Dr. Kinney, the creator and surrogate mother to X-23. This trigger scent sent his clone into a berserker rage, causing her to kill whoever had it on them. X-23 had been made to kill her own mother. Granted, Dr. Kinney hadn't been able to really be a mother since the girl was trained to be a weapon, not a daughter, but this was sure to be a delicate area for X-23, to say the least.

Logan couldn't do anything by lie there. X-23's face contorted in rage as she lifted her claws to plunge them into his heart. Logan braced himself, but the adamantium of her claws never touched his skin. The girl just stood there, frozen in position. He was about to take this opportunity to escape when, suddenly, X-23 crumpled to the floor, her claws retracting.

Logan slowly got up from the now blood covered floor. He crawled over to where X-23 was huddled. She was breathing heavily and her eyes were wide.

"Oh, God," Logan sighed. He couldn't do this. He just couldn't. How on earth was he supposed to deal with an emotional thirteen year-old as uncontrollable as himself? He tried encouragement:

"Hey, kid, buck up, huh?" X-23 remained wide-eyed and bit her lip so hard that a trickle of blood came out.

"Hey, no, don't do that!" Logan reached for some toilet paper and dabbed off the blood. Her lip had already healed.

"See, kid? You heal up just like me. You'd have to do one hell of a job to hurt me."

X-23 trembled and looked down at her hands. Logan sat back against the sink. He'd come here to get away from the living, breathing fact that he had been cloned. Now here she was, and, even though she was a copy of him, he had no idea what to do. Surely everyone back at the mansion was going crazy trying to find the super killer with claws who had escaped. Maybe Logan could just clean her up, call the Professor and have the X-Men come and get her.

Logan got up and wetted one of the hotel's washcloths. He dabbed the girl's face and hair with it and tried to calm her down. It worked somewhat, but he still had to fight a small battle to get her to move into the main area of the hotel room.

"Now how on earth did you get out of the mansion and track me all the way here?" Logan asked, sitting X-23 down on the bed.

She didn't answer, but let her eyes dart around the room, often coming to rest on him. She seemed to be angry and scared by the fact that she hadn't been able to kill the Weapon X, but she seemed to be very fascinated by him at the same time (though she was trying not to show it).

"Oh, that's right, silly me," said Logan "you're my clone. No problem escaping the heavy security of Xavier's Institute and tracking me ten miles away."

X-23 started to bite her lip again. Logan heaved a huge sigh and dropped his head into his hands.

"Dammit, dammit, dammit all to hell."

He picked up the phone and dialed Xavier's. Scott picked up.

"Oh thank God you found her," he said when Logan told him what happened.

"Yeah, thank God," he answered sarcastically. "She nearly ripped me to pieces!"

"Yes, well, you'd better keep her there for tonight. I'm sure you are entirely capable of keeping her safe."

"What?!" Logan yelled into the phone. "Listen, Summers, I ain't got nothin' here for her to wear or eat or whatever. I have no idea what I'm doing!"

"Relax, Logan! It's just until morning. I'll see ya then," Scott said and hung up.

Logan slammed down the phone and growled loudly. He looked over at X-23 who was rubbing the wet washcloth on her hands.

"You hungry?" he eventually said.

-----------------

Logan and X-23 both sat on the bed, a bag of pretzels and some cookies between them. Logan sipped some coffee as well. He'd paid a bored looking girl at the hotel's front desk to go to the convenience store and get some food. The last thing Logan wanted to do was to take X-23 out into public. It was bad enough coaxing her from the bathroom to the bed. Plus, if he was her (which he was in a sense) he would make an escape attempt at the first opportunity.

"C'mon, kid! Didn't they teach you to eat at Hydra?" said Logan, exasperated. He put some pretzels in her hands.

"I promise I haven't poisoned them or anything. You can sniff them. See? I know you can smell that kind of thing. Now eat!"

Logan heaved a sigh of relief when she finally put a pretzel in her mouth, chewed and swallowed. He looked at the clock; two A.M. This was going to be a long night.

After X-23 had eaten, Logan attempted to get her out of her dirty clothes (she had still been wearing the hospital pajamas for the Institute) and into a t-shirt and sweatpants he had brought along. It could have been bad, but it ended up working in the end only because X-23 didn't pop her claws and Logan was bigger. For his clone, she certainly was a tiny thing.

Finally, she was in bed. The doors and windows were locked, but Logan guessed he'd have to keep watch all night. X-23 was probably already planning her getaway. He settled himself in the lone chair in the room and tried to stop his head from spinning. After all that he still couldn't quite sober up. Or maybe it was just the drama of the whole situation. Just as he was starting to relax, a small voice came from the bed.

"I think I'm a coward." Logan looked up.

"What did you say?" he said.

"I think I'm a coward," X-23 repeated.

"Why the hell would you think that?"

"Because I should just kill myself. It's not your fault they cloned you and it's not your life I hate. It's mine."

Logan stared at her.

"I don't think you should kill yourself," he said, but then mentally slapped himself. _Yeah_, he thought. _That was a real meaningful reply_.

"Why?" X-23 demanded. "If I stay alive Hydra can still find me, they can still make me kill people."

Logan left his chair to sit on the edge of the bed, where X-23 was laying.

"Listen, kid, I don't know what they told you at that place about Professor Xavier, me or any of the other X-Men, but we're here to help you. If you let us, we will do all we can to protect you from Hydra and the trigger scent. And we sure as hell won't lock you up in a cell. You can have a life, go to school, make friends, be with other mutants. It could be worse, X-23."

"Don't call me that," she said angrily.

"What, did Hydra give you a real name I don't know about?" Logan said.

"No, my mother did. Right before she died."

"Oh."

"She called me Laura," she said.

"Okay, _Laura_," said Logan. "What do you say to going back to the Xavier mansion _cooperatively _and giving us a chance to help you?"

"Will you be there?" she said.

"Yeah. I teach there and I'm one of the X-Men. You should know that." Laura thought about it.

"Okay, but I'm only giving you people one chance. If you can't make my life one worth fighting for, then I'm going off on my own."

"Deal," said Logan. Laura nodded.

A moment passed. Logan awkwardly scratched behind his ear.

"You warm enough?" he asked the girl. She nodded again, but made no signs of settling down to sleep.

"Well, get some sleep. We're getting up early tomorrow."

"Where are you going to sleep?" Laura asked.

"I'll just crash in the chair," said Logan, getting up to sit back down in it.

Laura snuggled awkwardly down into the pillows. She still wasn't sure how to sleep in a bed.

"G'night," Logan said turning off the light.

-----------------

The early morning sun found its way through the hotel's musty curtains and into the room, waking Logan. He'd tried to stay awake, but the events of the evening before had taken it out of him more than a fight with Sabertooth. X-23, now Laura, was still sleeping. The pillows had been thrown to the floor and the sheets were tangled around her. She obviously hadn't had a very restful night. Logan watched the little hellion for awhile and then headed to the bathroom, deciding to let her sleep for a bit longer.

After showering and getting dressed Logan left the bathroom to find Laura had just woken up. Her long hair was tangled and sticking out in strange places and she was rubbing furiously at her eyes.

"Well look who's finally decided to get up," said Logan. Laura scowled at him.

"A regular miss sunshine," he muttered to himself, then said "If you want to take a shower, the bathroom's open."

Laura didn't move. She probably didn't know how to take a shower. Logan found her shoes and gave them to her to put on. Then, draping his leather jacket around her shoulders he said, "C'mon, let's blow this joint and go find some food."

-----------------

After checking out of the hotel, Logan and Laura went to a nearby diner. As two stepped inside of the busy establishment they were greeted by the many smells and sounds of food being made, served and eaten. Logan felt something on his lower arm and looked down to see Laura clutching his sleeve. She'd never been in a diner before; much less a poorly kept one in a seedy area of town. After being led to a booth she still didn't let go, so Logan sat down on the same side as her.

"You okay, sweetie?" a concerned-looking waitress said to Laura.

"She's fine," Logan answered, a little too forcefully. The waitress set down their menus and walked off.

"Would you let go of me?" Logan said to Laura. "I can't read the menu!" She let go, but moved slightly closer to him.

When the waitress finally returned Logan ordered them some eggs, toast and sausage (which was about all the place served for breakfast). _Now if only they had beer instead of coffee_, he thought.

Once again, Logan had to help Laura to eat. She recognized the bread, but nothing else.

"Just eat it, okay?" he said. He regretted his demand later when he had to pull over his truck for Laura to throw up the whole meal.

On the way back to the mansion Logan could sense Laura's nervousness.

"Don't be scared," he said, trying to sound reassuring. "We'll go in through a secret entrance so you don't have to see a bunch of people."

It wasn't a long drive, but it sure seemed like it. Laura didn't say anything, just looked out the window. Logan assumed it was the combination of nervousness and having just thrown up that kept her quiet. He wasn't feeling too talkative either.


	2. Chapter 2

-1Chapter 2

Arrival at Mutant High

True to his word, Logan parked his truck near an entrance into the Institute known only to the X-Men. Laura was clutching his sleeve again. He hadn't given much thought about what he'd do once he managed to get X-23 inside. He finally decided on just putting her in his room until other arrangements could be made. No one would barge in on her there, anyway.

They rode up the elevator to the second floor and Logan checked his watch. It was almost nine thirty, which meant that most of the kids would be in class. Nevertheless, when the door to the elevator opened, he poked his head out first to make sure the coast was clear. It was, so he led Laura out into the hallway and down a few doors to his room. He opened the door for her and followed her inside, locking it.

"Okay," Logan said. "This is my room. It smells like me, so I guess it smells like you, too. Thought you'd feel safer here. Now I'm going to leave and find one of the X-Men, but you have to stay here. No one will bother you and you can lock the door when I leave; I have a key I can get back in with. Okay?" Laura answered with her usual wordless nod.

"Okay." he said and left, closing the door behind him, waiting until he heard her lock it. It was strange, leaving her alone. He was suddenly feeling more sensitive to her needs. Logan remembered how freaked out he'd been when he'd first come to the Institute. Just then he sniffed the air. Scott was coming.

Logan made his way further down the hallway to meet the X-Men's leader. Few people on earth possessed the special ability of pissing Logan off at every opportunity, whether they meant to or not, and Scott Summers was one of those people.

"Hey Summers!" Logan growled. Scott turned around.

"Logan! How nice of you to finally arrive. I trust your little vacation went well?"

"Cut the crap, red eyes. Where's the Professor?"

Scott frowned. "He's at a very important meeting with the leading official of the U.S. Department…"

"He's not here? When will he be back?" Logan interrupted.

Scott frowned further. "He should be back in a few hours. In the meantime, where is X-23?"

"She's in my room…"

"Great! I'll get Hank and Jean and we'll get her down to the hospital wing…" Scott interrupted this time.

"Wait! You can't just barge in there and take her like some animal! She's going to let us help her, but…"

"Is there a problem here?" a deep woman's voice interrupted. Both men looked over to see Dr. Jean Grey a coming towards them.

"No, dear. Logan has just barricaded X-23 in his room and won't let us get to her," said Scott bitterly, putting his arm around Jean's waist as she came close. Logan scowled.

"Logan!" Jean said "I'm so glad you've returned! And with X-23, too! Have you been able to talk to her?"

Logan sighed in relief. He loved this woman. If it weren't for pretty boy Summers she could be his.

"Yeah. She's in my room. I was able to talk to her and I think she'll cooperate and let us help her. But she's still pretty freaked out. She, um, had a busy night last night."

"Can I go see her?" asked Jean.

"Yeah, sure." Logan led the way to his room, but not without flashing Scott a look of both anger and victory.

-----------------

Logan went in first.

"Laura?" He was surprised to find her lying on his bed, fast asleep, face buried in the pillow. _She's just as worn out as I am_, he thought. He crouched down beside the bed and gently rubbed her shoulder.

"Laura? Wake up. There's someone here to see you."

Her eyes opened quickly and she sat bolt upright, then swayed and fell forward. Logan was quick to catch her, laughing slightly. Obviously, she was still a little freaked out.

"Ya sat up too fast, kid!" he said, taking her by the shoulders. She looked at him, bleary eyed.

"Dr. Grey is here to see you. Do you remember her?" Laura looked over to the red-headed figure standing in the doorway.

"Don't worry," Jean said "No psychic stuff this time." She took a seat near the bed.

"So, your name is Laura, huh? That's a nice name. How would like to become a student at Xavier's, Laura? You'd get to be in classes with people your own age and go through some of the same combatant training the X-Men do. Logan teaches a lot of those classes." Jean smiled up at him.

"Depends," said Laura toughly. "Can your X-Men keep Hydra off my tail?"

"We will do all that is within our power to keep you safe, Laura," Jean replied. "We have many allies who are loyal to this school and its cause. However, our information about both you and Hydra is missing some pieces. As you probably know, their security is some of the tightest in the world, even to mutants. Perhaps, when you're ready, you can help us find some of the missing pieces to the puzzle."

Laura merely sighed slightly, quickly glancing up at Logan.

"But first things first!" Jean went on. "I bet you'd like to get some clothes and things of your own and get settled in a room. Let's see, I bet you anything Kitty and Rogue would love to find you some clothes. We have a large stock of clothing that the students have outgrown they could take you to. Logan, why don't you and I find a room for Laura to stay in (_and you can tell me what happened last night_)." Jean delivered the last part of the sentence telepathically to Logan.

-----------------

"This shirt has your name written all over it, Laura," said Kitty Pryde, holding up a black shirt with rhinestone accents. It was thrown into a large box already overflowing with clothes.

"And this!" a voice with a southern accent said from behind a rack of clothing. "She needs this!"

It went on like that for awhile longer. Laura just watched quietly as the two girls, Rogue and Kitty, decided delightfully on her wardrobe. The only thing she had picked out for herself was a large, worn leather jacket.

"Well of course you'd pick that," Rogue had said. "It used ta be Logan's."

After Laura was set for clothing, the two girls led her to the woman's shower room, giving her more bottles of hair products than she could carry, with instructions on how and when to use each one. Then she was pushed into a stall and made to shower. After that, she was dressed in some of her new clothes and feeling slightly better than she had earlier in the morning. It was amazing how the zealousness of two teenage girls could accomplish what Logan could not. And all in under an hour to boot.

Meanwhile, Logan was recounting the entire story of how he found Laura to Dr. Grey.

"Well, Logan," she said. "I guess it's not all that surprising. When Laura was here before I had to go inside her mind and it was just like yours when you first cam here, except more chaotic. Hydra has done some sick things to her, though I don't understand it all yet. Right now I think we just need to take baby steps and show her that other humans aren't all bad. She had something of a relationship with her mother, but Dr. Kinney wasn't even allowed to touch her daughter affectionately. Laura has no idea what it means to be loved. Beyond that, she's suffered the same physical torment you have, but even more so…" At this Jean trailed off, becoming emotional.

Logan, on the other hand, was seething with anger. It took most of his willpower not to storm out of the mansion right then and there to go kill the devils who had done all this to an innocent girl.

"Anyway," said Jean, regaining composure. "I was thinking that, at least for now, Laura should stay in the room adjacent to yours, if that's okay. She seems to be more comfortable around you and I think it could help her get through her first few months here. Plus, you can help us monitor her. The Professor has decided to give her the benefit of the doubt, but she could still be capable of doing something violent."

The room next to Logan's had been kept empty, per his request. He was a solitary guy and needed his space. Not to mention, the two rooms shared a bathroom. The way he saw it, if he got to live in this huge mansion and be one of the teachers at the school, he was going to have his own bathroom. And that was that. As much as Logan hated giving up the next door room and sole rights to his bathroom, he agreed with Dr. Grey that it would probably be best for Laura. Besides, it was only for a few months. How bad could it be?

Kitty Pryde walked out of a nearby wall just then.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" she announced loudly. "Rogue and I had our work cut out for us, but we are nevertheless proud to present Miss Laura: made over!"

Rogue and Laura turned the corner then. Laura was wearing some simple jeans and a baby pink shirt that had the word "Glam" scrawled across it in glittery letters. On top she wore Logan's old, oversized leather jacket. Her hair had been combed nicely.

Jean could be heard stifling a laugh, no doubt noticing the "Glam" t-shirt and how out of place it looked on a scared, thirteen year-old girl.

"Well?" said Rogue. "Whaddaya guys think?"

"Thank you, Kitty. Thank you, Rogue," said Jean. "You did a great job. I'm sure Laura appreciates it. Why don't you put Laura's things in Logan's room and I'll talk to you later about extra credit points."

"Yes!" said Rogue. "Ah am so passin' geometry this semester!"

Once the two girls had gone on their way, Jean and Logan helped Laura get her new things put away in the next door room.

"I see you've got my old jacket there," Logan said.

Laura looked at him, but didn't say anything.

"Knock, knock!" said a pleasant voice from the doorway.

At the sound, X-23 spun around, popping her claws and crouching in an attack stance.

"Whoa! Sorry, didn't mean to scare you!" It was Ororo Monroe, known as Storm on the X-Men team.

"It's okay, Roro," said Logan, putting his hands on Laura's shoulders to keep her from doing anything drastic. "Laura here is just a little on edge."

"So you've come back to us, Laura!" Storm said, smiling kindly at the girl who looked about ready to pounce on her. "I heard you'd managed to find Logan way out by the airport. Not an easy thing to do unless you're a telepath. But surely the old man has passed on most of his skills to you."

Logan rolled his eyes.

"Well! Just wanted to let you all know that the Professor has just arrived home and he is eager to meet our new student. Jean, I trust you've been in contact via psi-link with him already?"

"Yes," replied Jean, folding the last shirt and placing it in an open drawer. "He says we're to meet him in his office when we're done here."

"Great," said Storm, turning to leave the room. "Oh, and, it was nice to meet you Laura."

Laura remained crouched, with her claws extended until Storm was a good ways down the hall.

"Laura!" said Logan commandingly. "You do not attack teachers!"

X-23 hung her head.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 

Meeting the Professor

Professor Charles Xavier's office had a grand richness to it comparable to the Oval Office. He did look rather presidential, sitting behind his desk, dressed impeccably in a suit and tie. His bald head made him look intelligent rather than strange. The fact that he was permanently confined to a wheelchair took nothing away from his professional appearance. And, of course, the Professor ever had a calm, fatherly air about him.

He smiled at the sight of Logan and Jean leading a very apprehensive looking X-23 into his office. He was relieved to have the girl back in the safe confines of his house again and was hopeful that she would accept his help. He was also glad that Logan had been the one to bring her back. Perhaps now he would reconsider his previous oath to have nothing to do with his clone. Professor Xavier knew that he was the key to saving her from a life of pain and violence.

"I'm glad to see you've returned, Logan," said the Professor. "I'm sorry I was away when you needed my help, but I trust Scott dealt with the situation well?"

Logan merely grunted. The Professor was well aware of Scott and Logan's opinions of each other.

"And so," Xavier went on "Miss Laura Kinney has come back. Yes, you have a name that we were unaware of. I'm glad. It's wasn't right for you to be called by a number." He smiled genuinely at Laura, who was now seated in a chair in front of his desk. Logan now occupied the second chair. Jean nodded at the Professor, who nodded back, before exiting the room.

"Dr. Jean Grey and I share the mutant ability of telepathy," Xavier said to Laura. "We are able to both read minds and move things with our minds. Do not fear for your privacy. Dr. Grey and I will never enter your mind uninvited. Though I daresay, we've had to break this rule out of necessity in the past. Dr. Grey had to lock down your mind, Laura, because when you first came here you were beyond reasoning and displaying destructive behavior both to yourself and others."

Laura stared at the Professor, but didn't say anything.

"I started this school to be a safe haven for mutants to learn and live," he went on. "I aim for peace between mutants and humans. I believe that our mutations are gifts to be used for the benefit of all. Many, however, do not share my view on this. The scientists at Hydra are some of these people. They made Logan, and then you, out to kill those who opposed their opinions and even offered your services up for hire. That mutants should be treated like slaves is something that I will fight against as long as I have breath.

"So you see, Laura, when I heard of your escape from the Hydra laboratories I sent my X-Men to find you. I had hoped that you would come here to the Institute peacefully, but when I saw the state of your mind I knew that we had to intervene no matter what, for both your sake and others'. I'm sorry that things had to happen the way they did. And believe me, if I had known of your existence earlier, I would have done everything in my power to get you out of Hydra."

The Professor's sincerity seemed to have an effect on Laura. She looked calmer, anyway.

"So!" The Professor sat back in his chair and smiled. "Jean has updated me on everything that has happened." He brought forward some papers and started filling them out.

"I will enroll you as a student at the school, Laura. Although, I think it would be best if you didn't start classes just yet. Give yourself some time to settle in. Let's see…" The Professor wrote some more things down on the papers, then said,

"Logan, I'll just put you down as the father…"

"What?!" Logan stood up, shocked.

Professor Xavier looked calmly up from his papers.

"Well, she is over 80 your DNA. I would say that makes you more than her father."

Logan looked wild.

"Yeah, but," he said "I'm not really her _father_. I mean, I'm not taking care of her and all that. Good God, Charley, you know I could never do that!"

"Logan, please, calm down!" intervened the Professor, looking intently at the man before him. "No one is asking you to take on a parental role. I am merely putting you down as her guardian for the sake of paperwork. However, I think you should start considering moving into that role. Laura needs someone to turn to, and no one will understand her better than you."

Logan remained standing. Laura was looking down at her hands.

"Now," said the Professor, finally looking up from the paperwork. "Laura will need to go through a routine physical, though I think we'll have to alter it a little because of her special abilities. But we're used to that, being a school for mutants. We can worry about all that tomorrow, though. I'm sure the both of you would like to rest. Logan, perhaps you could show her where the kitchen is and see if she would like anything to eat?"

Logan got up again and motioned for Laura to follow him.

"C'mon," he said, leading her into the hallway.

"Goodbye, Laura!" The Professor called after them.

-------------------

Logan needed a break. He'd been taking care of this girl since the previous night and then the Professor had to spring that father stuff on him. Not to mention all this new information about what the kid's life had been like before. It was all a little much. So when he saw Kurt, a.k.a. Nightcrawler, in the hallway he quickly passed Laura on to him.

"Could you show her where the kitchen is and maybe get her something to eat? She's staying in the room next to mine, so just take her there afterwards."

Luckily, Kurt was happy to do so. Friendly by nature, the German man loved to help out any newcomers. Laura didn't seem too put off by his blue skin, pointy ears and tail, which was also good, but she began too look slightly frightened at the Logan's attempt to leave her. He ignored the look on her face as he left, heading back to his room.

Kurt led Laura to the kitchen where he showed her around.

"If you are hungry I can make you some of my famous toast," he said. Laura was starving, so she silently nodded.

"Alright then! Let's see, here's the bread. Just pop it in the toaster like so and pretty soon you'll be eating the best toast this side of New York."

Laura couldn't help but smile just a little. Kurt was one of those people you could talk to for five minutes and feel like you've known him your whole life. He set out some butter and jams on the breakfast bar where Laura was seated.

"I don't know what you want on your toast, but this is all we have at the moment," he said. Laura chose some strawberry jam, which Kurt spread on the hot toast for her.

"Here you are!" he said, setting the plate down in front of her, along with a glass of water. She polished off the toast and water in minutes, accustomed to having a very short time in which to eat.

"Wow, that was fast" remarked Kurt. "You could give some of the growing boys here a run for their money!"

Meanwhile, Logan was sitting in his room, staring out the window, just letting the events on the past 12 hours sink in. He couldn't deny feeling a special connection with Laura. She was his flesh and blood, after all. But the prospect of becoming a father was one of the most daunting things he had ever faced. And he'd faced a lot.

Logan wasn't one to be tied down to anything. He was faithful to the Institute and the X-Men when he felt like it, but he was known to get up and leave at the drop of a hat. Usually somewhere dangerous. He was the Wolverine, after all!

And then there were women. Logan couldn't seem to keep any of them around for very long. He usually ended up scaring them off or pissing them off. If he couldn't keep a steady girlfriend he sure as hell wasn't going to be able to take care of a little girl.

She'd settle in, he told himself. He'd settled in, right? He got along fine here at Xavier's. If he could do it, so could she. Logan was just comforting himself with that thought when he heard a door opening and Kurt's voice next door saying goodbye to Laura. The door shut. He listened. No more sounds came from the next room.

Logan signed and got up from his post by the window, heading towards the bathroom. He crossed the white tiled room to the far door that lead to Laura's room and knocked.

"Hey, kid?" He opened the door. Laura was sitting on the bed, facing Logan.

"You okay?" he asked. She nodded her head and said, "It's just…this is all so different."

"Yeah, I know," Logan replied. "But it'll get easier. You just gotta learn to trust people a little more."

Laura looked up at him with identical eyes.

"You get somethin' to eat?" he asked.

She nodded. "Toast."

Logan smirked. "You mean like the stuff you ate and then threw up on the road this mornin'?" Laura looked at him almost angrily.

"What, didn't they clone you a sense of humor?" he asked. The girl's look changed to quizzical.

"Right, well, I'm going to take a shower, so don't come in, okay?" Logan said.

"Okay," was the simple reply.

After his shower, Logan checked in on X-23 once again. She was still sitting on the bed, but this time she was reading a book from a stack beside her.

"Look!" she said with child-like excitement when she saw him. "Dr. Grey let me pick some books from the library."

Logan looked more closely at the books. They were all picture books for small children.

"Aren't these a little young for you?" he asked.

"Sometimes, Dr. Kinney would sneak pages from these books into my room at Hydra and read to me. She was supposed to read me big books about fighting."

Logan was brought back to the cold reality of Laura's previous life. She hadn't even been allowed proper reading material. But her excitement of having the books now made him smile before he knew it.

"Glad ya found somethin' to do," he said and went back to his room.

**Thanks for the comments! Very much appreciated. Chapter 4 is almost done, so I'll be posting it soon. Also, I'm thinking the first two chapters need to be drastically edited, if not rewritten. Now that I have an audience I'm thinking differently. Thanks again and leave more comments!**


	4. Chapter 4

-1Chapter 4

The Nightmare

Logan didn't hear another peep out of Laura the rest of the afternoon. He ignored her that evening as well, figuring that if she got hungry she could find the kitchen herself. He was still reluctant to have that much to do with her.

After having a few beers and watching the evening news, Logan got ready for bed. He got tired of the students (and some of the staff) asking him if it was true he had a clone and if she was at the Institute. It was getting hard for him to escape the concrete fact of X-23's existence in his life. He sought the solitude of his bedroom, getting into bed without so much as a peek at Laura. Logan fell asleep quickly, sinking into a dream.

_He was floating in the case of greenish water, faceless figures hovering over him. He knew the dream well. One of the figures raised a silver, glinting drill and brought it down towards his arm. Logan closed his eyes, bracing himself for the pain, but it didn't come. Opening his eyes he found himself outside the tank just as the drill was sunk into the flesh of the figure now floating in the liquid. He heard the scream through the bubbles that boiled to the surface and looked down into the face of X-23. _

_"You're the only one who can help her, Logan," came the voice of Professor Xavier in his head. Without thinking any further, he jumped into the green water with a yell, grasping for the body of his clone._

Logan jerked awake to the sound of screams. As if by instinct he leapt out of bed, through the bathroom and into Laura's room. In the darkness he could make out the girl's form writhing on her bed, obviously caught in a horrible nightmare. She was crying hysterically, her sobs penetrating the night silence, painful to Logan's ears. Trying to shake his own nightmare off, he ran towards her bed.

"Laura!" he reached out to try and steady her thrashing body and felt her skin soaked in cold sweat. She was shouting incoherently.

"Laura! Wake up!" He'd grabbed her arms, but her clenched fists released her claws, missing his torso by inches. She sat bold upright, finally waking, as her claws were drawn back into her hands.

There, in the moonlight that peaked through the window, Logan saw not just a girl waking from a nightmare, but himself. Laura was plagued, as he was, by her past. All thoughts and motives of ignoring her were put aside as he pulled the wild-eyed girl towards him, wrapping her in his arms.

"Shhh," he soothed, gently stroking her head. "It's gonna be okay, darlin'. It wasn't real. No one is gonna get you." The Professor's words were still echoing in his mind. Laura seemed to melt into Logan's embrace, dry sobs shaking her. After a few long minutes her breathing began to even out.

"That's it," Logan said, rubbing her back "Just breathe." He pulled away and looked at her weary face, wiping away her tears.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm sorry you have to go through this. It's not fair. You shouldn't have to have those nightmares." Laura sniffed.

"You have them too?" she croaked out.

Logan nodded. "Used to have 'em all that time. But it's gotten better." He stroked her head again. He couldn't seem to remember why he'd tried to keep his distance from this girl.

"Do you think you can go back to sleep?" he asked. Laura shook her head.

"Alright then, let's see," Logan looked around the room and spotted the pile of picture books. "How about I read to you until you can go to sleep?"

She seemed to brighten a little as this, so he settled himself on the bed next to her as she snuggled up to him, still sniffling slightly, and laid her head on his chest.

"The little engine that could…" Logan began. If only the X-Men could see him now. The funny thing was that, at the moment, he didn't really care who saw him. After a couple pages he glanced down at Laura and gave a little smile as he saw her trying to keep her eyes open. He'd read two more pages before he felt her fall into sleep. Putting the book down, he stared at her now peaceful face. She really did look so much like him. Even her mannerisms were an echo of his.

Logan thought back to his dream and shivered. He silently vowed then and there that he would never allow Laura to have to go through the pain and torture she'd endured at Hydra again. He was the reason she was alive in the first place. Maybe it was just the drama of the nighttime, but he felt right then that he would do whatever it took to keep her from harm. With that thought, it wasn't long until Logan too had fallen asleep.

------------------------

When Logan woke up the next morning he was confused at his surroundings, wondering why he wasn't in his room. Then the events of the previous night flooded back into his mind. He looked beside him, but X-23 was not there. His eyes scanned the room to find her sitting on the window bench, knees to chest, staring out at the rising sun.

Logan sat up, rubbing his eyes and neck and felt something under his foot. He looked down to see the book he had been reading to Laura. Picking it up, he walked over to where she was sitting and placed it in front of her. She glanced at the book and then up at Logan's tall form. She had this way of just staring at him, like he was the most fascinating thing in the world. Oddly enough, it didn't unnerve him.

"How ya doin' kid?" he asked in his gruff, early morning voice. Laura looked back down at the book before giving Logan the first smile he'd ever seen from her. It was a small smile, but he couldn't help grinning back. Sitting down next to her, he looked out across the grounds. It was late autumn, but some of the leaves had yet to fall. The abundance of trees meant that there was still color to be seen. Birds flew happily through, gathering food or preparing to migrate somewhere warmer. Laura put the palm of her hand up against the window.

"I like it," she said, which caused Logan smile again. He knew that she had never been able to enjoy nature before now.

"I'm glad, kid," he said, getting up and stretching. "We should probably get dressed. Come in the bathroom and I'll give you the grand tour."

Laura followed Logan into the bathroom where he designated her a sink (there were two) and got out the things Rogue and Kitty had supplied her with the day before. Now she had her own soap, toothbrush, washcloth and all the other essentials.

Laura mimicked the man next to her as he washed his face and brushed his teeth. Logan didn't shave a lot of his face, leaving room for generous side-burns and a partial beard (that was more stubble than anything else). However, he got out his shaving cream and razor for the few parts he kept shaven. Laura wasn't sure how to mimic that. Logan laughed and pointed to her hairbrush.

"I'll take care of my hair, you take care of yours." She got the idea and started brushing. After a minute she was done and so she watched Logan, whose face was now spotted with shaving cream. He noticed her watching, so he wiped off some of the white foam with his finger and dotted it on Laura's nose. Utterly surprised, she tried to look down her nose before wiping it off with her own finger and sniffing it. Logan laughed again thinking how much more entertaining this was than his normal morning routine.

Pretty soon he was done shaving, so the two parted to get dressed. It wasn't long before Laura knocked on Logan's door and came through having dressed herself simply in jeans and a t-shirt. He himself was only half-dressed in jeans and an undershirt.

"Hey, good job dressin' yourself. Beats me doin' it for you, eh?" he said. Laura sat on the bed in reply and played with his alarm clock.

"Hey! Don't mess with that!" Logan rushed over, shirt half-buttoned, to swat her hands away leaving her looking rather put out. Then, finished buttoning, he led her towards the kitchen. They were just a few yards away from their destination when Laura grew tense, stopping dead in her tracks. She sniffed the air and then listened. She could sense the others in the kitchen and a worried look crossed her face.

"It's alright, this kitchen is just for staff, like Dr. Grey and the Professor," Logan said, leading her forward. She followed hesitantly. Pushing open the swinging door the pair entered the kitchen. Storm, Cyclops, Jean and the Professor looked up from their respective places around the spacious room.

"Good morning!" was the cheerful greeting from the Professor. Logan grunted as he made his way towards the coffee maker, Laura in tow.

"You drink coffee, kid?" he asked. Storm had gotten up from her seat and said, "I think she would do better with some actual food. How about some cereal, Laura? Our selection here isn't nearly as colorful or sweet as what the students keep in their kitchens, but I'm sure we can find something you'd like."

Storm was opening cupboards and retrieving a bowl, spoon and numerous boxes of cereal. Laura had slunk up against the counter next to Logan, who was gulping down a large mug of coffee.

"Give her that," he suggested to Storm, pointing to a box of hoop-shaped cereal. "I think she's havin' trouble adjusting to regular food." He was, of course, remembering the previous morning's breakfast, particularly after Laura had regurgitated it. Storm poured a generous bowl and handed it to Laura, who took it slowly and sniffed it thoroughly before taking a bite. Satisfied, Storm sat back down to her own breakfast.

Professor Xavier simultaneously nudged the stick on his wheel chair to move himself over away from the table, having finished eating.

"I trust you both slept well?" he asked the two persons leaning against the counter, one of whom was now ravenously downing her bowl of cereal.

"Yeah, sure," said Logan, with a glance at the Professor that told him everything he needed to know.

"Good," he replied. "Logan, I know you have to teach a class this morning, but it was the only time Jean and Hank could fit in Laura's physical. I need them both on board so that we can make sure Laura is doing fine. I will also be involved as Laura's mutation may have been dealt with by Hydra in a different way than yours was. So, why don't you come by the infirmary right after your class so you can be with her and hear what Jean and Hank find out."

Logan gulped down the rest of his coffee and nodded. He could only hope that Laura would cooperate.

"I guess I'd better get going," he said, looking at the clock. He looked down at Laura, who had finished her bowl of cereal, and put his hand on her back. "I'll see ya later, kid."

As Logan headed out the door he heard Storm say, "Here, Laura, I'll get you some more cereal."


End file.
